Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

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National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1(120), 2022

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120582120

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Genetic dissection of intercellular interactions in vivo by membrane-permeable protein

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Preprint: archiving forbidden
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Postprint: archiving allowed
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Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Unraveling cell–cell interaction is fundamental to understanding many biological processes. To date, genetic tools for labeling neighboring cells in mammals are not available. Here, we developed a labeling strategy based on the Cre-induced intercellular labeling protein (CILP). Cre-expressing donor cells release a lipid-soluble and membrane-permeable fluorescent protein that is then taken up by recipient cells, enabling fluorescent labeling of neighboring cells. Using CILP, we specifically labeled endothelial cells surrounding a special population of hepatocytes in adult mice and revealed their distinct gene signatures. Our results highlight the potential of CILP as a platform to reveal cell–cell interactions and communications in vivo.